Binding tool, and fixing tool for binding and binding band for the same

ABSTRACT

To provide a binding tool which facilitates the insertion of an end part of a binding band into a fixing tool body without wasting the binding band.  
     A binding too comprises a fixing tool for binding  11  having ratchet pawls  7  and  9  for allowing a binding band  5  to move in an opposite direction but preventing the binding band  5  from moving in the return direction, respectively on opposed inner faces of a cylindrical binding tool body  3 , and the binding band  5  which forms a loop by being inserted twice into an entrance of the fixing tool  11  from the same direction, wherein locking projections  25  are provided on both sides of the binding band  5  in proper pitches. An operating space of each of the ratchet pawls  7  and  9  are spaced out on entrance and exit sides of the fixing tool body  3 . Further, bank-shaped belts  21  are provided on both sides of the band body  5.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a binding tool for binding variousobjects to be bound and a fixing tool for binding and a binding bandused for the binding tool, and more specifically, to a binding toolwhich facilitates a binding operation and allows effective use of abinding band, and a fixing tool for binding and the binding band.

2. Background of the Invention

As a conventional binding tool for binding an object to be bound, astructure in which an annular buckle part is integrally formed on oneend side of a binding band, the other end side of the binding band ispassed through the inside of the buckle part, and locking projectionsprovided in the buckle part are locked in a locking recess or a lockinghole provided in the above other end side is known.

In the binding tool having the above structure, a length of the bindingband is restricted, and since an object to be bound is bound within anallowable range, when a circumferential length of the object to be boundis even slightly longer than the length of the binding band, the bindingtool cannot accommodate the object. That is, there is a disadvantage inthat an applicable scope of the intended object to be bound isrestricted. In addition, when the circumferential length of the objectto be bound is short, there is another disadvantage in that cutting andremoving excessive portions on the other end side of the binding bandgreatly projected from the buckle part causes much waste.

Moreover, as a conventional binding tool, a structure having a separatebinding band and a fixing tool is also known (for example, refer toJapanese Utility Model Laid-open Publication No. Hei 5-73387).

The structure of a binding tool as described in the above PatentDocument 1 is a structure as shown in FIG. 5. That is, the inner part ofa cylindrical fixing tool body 101 is provided with first and secondflexible ratchet pawls 103 and 105 with courses of action in oppositedirections. Further, a space part 107 allowing the first ratchet pawl103 to bend is formed between the first ratchet pawl 103 and an upperwall part in the fixing tool body 101, and a first path 111 for passinga binding band 109 is formed between the first and second ratchet pawls103 and 105. Furthermore, a second path 113 is formed between the secondratchet pawl 105 and a lower wall part of the fixing tool body 101.

In the above structure, in order to form the binding band 109 in a loopto bind an object to be bound 115, a top end side of the first ratchetpawl 103 is first lifted up by using an appropriate jig, and a verticalclearance of the first path 111 is spread. Then, the binding band 109 isformed in the loop by inserting an end part 109A of the binding band 109in the direction of an arrow A, and also passing the end part 109A inthe direction of an arrow B through the second path 113.

In the above structure, the object to be bound 115 in the loop can betightly fastened by pulling the binding band 109 formed in the loop inthe opposite direction to the arrow A. Moreover, the waste of thebinding band 109 can be eliminated by cutting the binding band 109outside the fixing tool body 101.

However, in the above structure, it is necessary to lift up the end partof the first ratchet pawl 103 with the jig when the binding band 109 ispassed through the fixing tool body 101 in the direction of the arrow A,and there is a problem in the case of achieving improvement ofoperability. Further, in the above structure, since the upper wall partof the fixing tool body 101, the space part 107, the first ratchet pawl103, the first path 111, the second ratchet pawl 105, the second path113, and the lower wall part of the fixing tool body overlap each otherin a vertical direction, there is a disadvantage in that a verticaldimension of the entire structure of the fixing tool body 101 becomeslarge.

Furthermore, in the above structure, the second ratchet pawl 105 existsbetween the first path 111 and the second path 113 through which thebinding band 109 is passed, and serves as a substantial partition. Thatis, since two layers of independent spaces and independent mechanismsare provided, the structure is complicated and also difficult tomanufacture with a die or the like.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is made in view of the conventional problems asdescribed above, and a fixing tool for binding according to the presentinvention is characterized by having ratchet pawls for allowing a bandto move in an opposite direction but preventing the band from moving inthe return direction, respectively, on opposite inner surfaces of acylindrical fixing tool body.

In addition, in the above fixing tool for binding, an operating space ofeach of the ratchet pawls is characterized by being arranged on theentrance and exit sides of the fixing tool body.

Moreover, a binding band is characterized in that locking projectionshaving inclined faces in one direction are provided in proper pitches onthe front face of a band body, and locking projections with a course ofaction in an opposite direction to the above locking projections areprovided in proper pitches on the rear face of the band body.

Furthermore, the binding band is characterized in that bank-shaped beltsare provided on both sides of the band body.

Also, the present invention is characterized by comprising the fixingtool for binding having the ratchet pawls for allowing the binding bandto move in the opposite direction but preventing the binding band frommoving in the return direction, respectively on the opposed inner facesin the cylindrical fixing tool body, and the binding band which forms aloop by being inserted twice in the entrance of the fixing tool from thesame direction, wherein the locking projections to be locked by theratchet pawls are provided on both faces of the binding band in properpitches.

Further, the present invention is characterized by comprising a fixingtool for binding having ratchet pawls made of metal for allowing abinding band to move in an opposite direction but preventing the bindingband from moving in the return direction, respectively on opposed innerfaces of a cylindrical fixing tool body, and the binding band whichforms a loop by being inserted twice in the entrance of the fixing toolfrom the same direction, wherein the ratchet pawls are configured tobite into the binding band.

According to the present invention, when an end part of the binding bandis first passed through the fixing tool body, a clearance between thefirst and second ratchet pawls is large so that the binding band can beeasily passed. And when the binding band is formed in a loop and the endpart of the binding band is passed for the second time from the samedirection, since the binding band overlaps, the first and second ratchetpawls are caused to be bent and the binding band can be easily passedthrough the fixing tool body.

Further, in a state in which the binding band is formed in a loop, thebinding band is in a state in which the binding band is directlycontacted and overlapped in the fixing tool body, and a height dimensionof the entire structure of the fixing tool body can be controlled to asmall value.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description when taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate thesame or similar parts throughout the figures thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an illustrative drawing showing the entire structure of abinding tool related to an embodiment of the present invention, FIGS. 2Aand 2B are illustrative drawings of a fixing tool for binding, FIGS. 3Aand 3B are illustrative drawings of a binding band, FIG. 4 is anillustrative drawing of a binding tool related to a second embodiment,and FIG. 5 is an illustrative drawing of a conventional binding tool.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIG. 1, a binding tool 1 related to the embodiment of thepresent invention is provided with a fixing tool for binding 11 havingfirst and second ratchet pawls 7 and 9 for allowing a binding band 5 tomove in an opposite direction but preventing the binding band 5 frommoving in the return direction, respectively on opposed inner faces of acylindrical fixing tool body 3.

The fixing tool body 3 in the fixing tool for binding 11 is formed in acylindrical body provided with a quadrilateral through hole 13 as shownin FIGS. 2A and 2B, and the first and second ratchet pawls 7 and 9 areprovided in a position of point symmetry on an entrance side and an exitside of the through hole 13. That is, the first and second ratchet pawls7 and 9 are separately provided on the entrance and exit sides of thethrough hole 13 so that each operating space does not overlap. Inaddition, since the first and second ratchet pawls 7 and 9 aresymmetrically formed, the entrance and the exit are not fixed in thethrough hole 13 in the fixing tool body 3, and if one side serves as theentrance, the other side serves as the exit.

The first and second ratchet pawls 7 and 9 are inclined so that the endpart (free end part) is directed to the center side of the through hole13, and locking pawls 15 which freely lock locking projections providedon the binding band 5 are formed on the internal faces of the ratchetpawls 7 and 9, respectively. Further, recessed parts 17 into which eachof the ratchet pawls 7 and 9 may enter are formed in the fixing toolbody 3 corresponding to each of the ratchet pawls 7 and 9.

A height dimension of the through hole 13 in the fixing tool body 3 isformed in a slightly bigger dimension than a thickness dimension of theoverlapped binding band 5, and belt guide parts 19 for guidingbank-shaped belts 21 provided on both sides of the binding band 5 areformed on both sides of the through hole 13, that is, on both sides ofthe first and second ratchet pawls 7 and 9.

The binding band 5 has a structure having bank-shaped belts 21 withsmooth surfaces on both sides in a longitudinal direction, as shown inFIGS. 3A and 3B. These bank-shaped belts 21 are formed with thickness onboth sides of the binding band 5 as if forming bank-shaped portions.Further, between the bank-shaped belts 21 on the surface of the bindingband 5, locking projections 25 having inclined faces 23 in one directionare provided in proper pitches. Further, the locking projections 25provided on the rear face of the binding band 5 in proper pitches areformed with a course of action in an opposite direction to the abovelocking projections 25 on the front face.

In the structure as described above, in order to form the binding band 5in a loop for binding an object to be bound (not illustrated), an endpart 5A of the binding band 5 is first passed through (first passage) inthe direction of an arrow A in FIG. 1, to the through hole 13 of thefixing tool body 3. In this case, although the first ratchet pawl 7 isin a state of being projected into the through hole 13, since thebinding band 5 is singlefold and the first and second ratchet pawls 7and 9 are unevenly distributed on the entrance and exit sides of thethrough hole 13, the binding band 5 can be easily passed through withoutbeing locked by the locking pawls 15 of the first and second ratchetpawls 7 and 9.

Next, the binding band 5 is formed in a loop, and when the end part 5Aof the binding band 5 is passed through the through hole 13 (secondpassage) in the fixing tool body 3 from the same direction, the lockingprojections 25 in the vicinity of the end part 5A are locked by thelocking pawls 15 in the second ratchet pawl 9 and prevented fromescaping.

As mentioned above, when the second passage of the end part 5A of thebinding band 5 is performed through the through hole 13 of the fixingtool body 3, the binding band 5 is doubly overlapped in the through hole13. In this case, since the portions of the thick bank-shaped belts 21on both sides of the binding band 5 overlap in the belt guide portions19 of the through hole 13, the locking projections 25 provided on boththe front and rear faces of the binding band 5 do not interfere witheach other. Therefore, the passage of the end part 5A through thethrough hole 13 can be also performed comparatively easily.

As described above, when the binding band 5 is doubly overlapped in thethrough hole 13 of the fixing tool body 3, the locking projections 25provided on both the front and rear faces of the binding band 5 are in astate of being locked by the locking pawls 15 of the first and secondratchet pawls 7 and 9. In this state, when the binding band 5 is pulledin an opposite direction to the arrow A so that an object to be boundplaced in the loop of the binding band 5 is tightly fastened, the firstratchet pawl 7 bends, and the locking projections 25 of the binding band5 get over the locking pawls 15 of the first ratchet pawl 7 and arepulled out outside in every one pitch.

As mentioned above, when the binding band 5 is pulled in the oppositedirection to the arrow A, the locking projections 25 in the vicinity ofthe end part 5A of the binding band 5 are in a state of being locked bythe locking pawls 15 of the second ratchet pawl 9, and the end part 5Aof the binding band 5 does not escape from the through hole 13 of thefixing tool body 3. Further, in a state in which the binding band 5 ispulled to tightly fasten the object to be bound, the locking pawls 15 ofthe first ratchet pawl 7 lock the locking projections 25 of the bindingband 5 to prevent loosening. Therefore, after tight fastening of theobject to be bound, the excessive portion of the binding band 5 can becut.

As understood from the above description, according to the presentembodiment, when the end part 5A of the binding band 5 is passed throughthe through hole 13 in the fixing tool body 3, the passage can be easilyperformed without receiving interference by the ratchet pawls on theentrance side. In addition, since the fixing tool body 3 has a structurehaving the ratchet pawls 7 and 9 respectively on the entrance and exitsides of the through hole 13 with a slightly bigger height dimensionthan the dimension of the binding band 5 doubly overlapped, thesimplification of the entire structure can be achieved, and also theheight dimension can be reduced.

FIG. 4 shows the second embodiment. In this second embodiment, the topparts of the locking projections 25 provided on both the front and rearfaces of a binding band 5 are formed in a shape showing a substantiallyright angle, and first and second ratchet pawls 7 and 9 are made of ametal plate or the like, of which a base side is buried into a fixingtool body 3 and obliquely projected. Also in this case, the same effectas the above embodiment can be obtained.

Incidentally, when the first and second ratchet pawls 7 and 9 are madeof metal and have a structure in which an end part has an edge formed ina proper shape, such as a saw blade or a knife edge, namely, an edgewith a shape for easily biting into the binding band 5, the end part sof the ratchet pawls 7 and 9 bite into the binding band 5 when an objectto be bound is tightly fastened to prevent loosening. Therefore, in thiscase, the locking projections 25 provided on both sides of the bindingband 5 can be omitted and the binding band 5 can also be provided as astructure of a flat belt.

In addition, the ratchet pawls 7 and 9 are sufficient as long as theyhas a function for allowing the binding band 5 to move in one directionbut preventing motion in the other direction (direction to be loosened).

As many apparently widely different embodiments and variations of thepresent invention can be made without departing from the spirit andscope thereof, it is to be understood that the present invention is notlimited to the specific embodiments thereof described herein but ratheronly to the extent set forth in the following claims.

This application claims the benefit of Japanese Patent Application No.2005-285157, filed on Sept. 29, 2005, which is hereby incorporated byreference herein in its entirety.

1. A fixing tool for binding characterized by having ratchet pawls forallowing a band to move in an opposite direction but preventing the bandfrom moving in the return direction, respectively on opposed inner facesof a cylindrical fixing tool body.
 2. The fixing tool for bindingaccording to claim 1, characterized in that an operating space of eachof the ratchet pawls is arranged on entrance and exit sides of thefixing tool body.
 3. A binding band characterized by having lockingprojections with inclined faces in one direction in proper pitches onthe front face of a band body, and locking projections with a course ofaction in an opposite direction to the above locking projections in theproper pitches on the rear face of the band body.
 4. The binding bandaccording to claim 3, characterized by having bank-shaped bands on bothsides of the band body.
 5. A binding tool characterized by comprising afixing tool for binding having ratchet pawls for allowing a binding bandto move in an opposite direction but preventing the binding band frommoving in the return direction, respectively on opposed inner faces of acylindrical binding tool body, and the binding band which forms a loopby being inserted twice into an entrance of the fixing tool from thesame direction, wherein locking projections to be locked by the ratchetpawls are provided on both sides of the binding band in proper pitches.6. A binding tool characterized by comprising a fixing tool for bindinghaving ratchet pawls made of metal for allowing a binding band to movein an opposite direction but preventing the binding band from moving inthe return direction, respectively on opposed inner faces of acylindrical binding tool body, and the binding band which forms a loopby being inserted twice into an entrance of the fixing tool from thesame direction, wherein the ratchet pawls are configured to bite intothe binding band.